Turkish police have detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of what state media have described as corruption and terror investigations.
“I am saddened to say, a handful of people who are trying to steal the will of the people, have sent the dear police, the security forces implicating them in this wrongful doing,” Imamoglu, a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said in a video posted to X on Wednesday.
Turkish prosecutors also issued arrest warrants for 100 other people connected to the mayor, including his press adviser Murat Ongun, according to state-run news agency Anadolu Agency.
The media outlet, citing a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, said that Imamoglu and the people connected to him are accused of being members of a criminal organization, extortion, bribery and aggravated fraud.
The mayor himself is also accused of aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which Turkey considers terrorist organizations, according to the same statement.
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) denounced Imamoglu’s detention, calling it “a coup against our next president.”
The detention took place just days before the CHP's scheduled primary election, where he was expected to be picked as the party's presidential candidate.
Following the detention, Istanbul's governorship suspended the right to demonstrate in the city until March 23, saying that the aim is “to maintain public order,” CNN reported.
The escalating political tensions caused the Turkish national currency, the lira, to plunge to an all-time low against the dollar.
According to reports, the lira’s devaluation exceeded 5% against the U.S. dollar, euro, pound, and gold.
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